Show Design challenge - expand your(my?) mind...http://www.zwsoft.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=865
Hi all,
here is a link to a design challenge some of you will have already seen.
<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.dezignstuff.com/blog/?p=1574#more-1574">DezignStuff_1</a>
I have had a few goes at doing this in VX with no signficant success. I, not VX am at fault here.
I am not fussed about the aesthetics up front, just the modelling approach.
I have done similar(closed loft and chop) in SWx simply because there was no other way I could figure. In reality the approach taken in the first example is crude and naive in that it doesn't actually model a shoe construction, just the appearance.
I figure in VX 'we' can get a lot closer to reality up front and have full parametric control once the model is done.(compared to ALIAS/SThinking, Rhino, etc)
I'd be mighty interested to see if anyone can come up with a simple way of doing this.
I'd be happy to post a model if some else is interested enough.<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif" border="0"> mudcrab2010-04-13 23:34:24http://www.zwsoft.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=865&pid=4742
Hi Paul,
Jamie is correct... VX Innovator doesn't have the visualization controls that are available in VX Designer. bobf4fun2010-04-21 15:19:56http://www.zwsoft.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=865&pid=4741
Hi Jamie,
there are many ways to 'skin a cat'. The difficulty with the show challenge is that there are no actual contraints to be achieved, just a general form.
If you are interested. there are come videos of shoe design by the Thai VX dealer. Admittedly they are in Thai (adds some spice) and could be a bit quicker but the modelling shows some tools you may not be ware of. <a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkTJsNYRlFc">Show sole modeling</a>
Regards presentation from VX -
Not exactly sure what you mean. VX allows texture mapping with full control over all lighting parameters scaling etc.
Full Surface attributes control on ANY face/shape, combination wireframe and shaded, hidden line, shaped cross sections, combinations in assy, a full lighting control, etc.
It also provides a POV Ray render studio.
It's animation tools are capable of almost anything you want.
In all cases one has to learn to use the tools. The more powerful the tools, the more learning.
OK, so maybe there are no floor shadows. Apart from that, not sure what you might need. I know that a lot of other CAD users send out there models for rendering - in VX you do not need to. Perhaps you should ask the forum...
Cheers
mudcrab2010-04-21 14:39:44http://www.zwsoft.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=865&pid=4740
Hi Paul
I guess the entry#2 on Matts page is the best way of doing it. Same as yours but with more cross section curves to help control the form. I doubt i will have time to do play with it. I only have the demo of innovator at the moment, to be honest all the versions are a little confusing. I guess innovator pro what vx modeller used to be, although the modelling tools are good the on screen visualisation is poor. Not good to show a client designs on screen. Anyhow I digress.
Jamie
futureproof2010-04-21 10:33:38http://www.zwsoft.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=865&pid=4739
Hi Jamie,
thanks for looking and commenting.
Notice there are no connection line additions or attempts to refine this. Just as simple as possible with least amount of tweaking.
I agree one might need an additional profile or so.
There is no suggestion that a mirror would achieve tangency. There are other more complex ways to achieve that. This is really the first half of an asymmetric object, so the second half should use this as a base and achieve the tangency if it is desired.
Most of my design for instance is for casting so a true tangent split line junction is actually undesirable.
However I think achieving tangency is a useful goal.
It is interesting that bi-rail loft doesn't have any end face tangency controls. I am not sure if this is a limitation or and impractically or simple not been done. Does other software offer this?
HOWEVER - have your tried swapping the path/profiles? and adding/modifying connection lines..
Are you going to make some mods and post here? Love to see them. mudcrab2010-04-20 16:02:14http://www.zwsoft.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=865&pid=4737
Hi Paul
Thanks for posting your model. I see it is simple to make but maybe the Birail needs more control the surface is a bit wrinkly in places looked at with the zebra. Maybe it needs more cross sections to control it better. Also the surface is quite a heavy one ie lots of control points. I think this makes it not as simple as it first looks.
Regards
Jamie futureproof2010-04-20 15:16:34http://www.zwsoft.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=865&pid=4733
Hi All,
I am putting up this model pair for critique. This is a genuine surface model unlike a chopped solid loft. It is also capable of being fully parametrically driven. One could create a family of parts from this to fit different sizes etc. once you established the dimensional relationships. So in this regard it is leap ahead of a free form modeller.
I'd be really keen to see other modeling variations.
The difference between the two is the method by which the curves are created. In one, they are sketches -easiest to manage on editing, and the other they are 3D curves on surfaces. OK if you are a hot shot curve creator, but not so easy to manage in subsequent edits.
Two additional images are provided. One is the background image I used in sketch 1. I am not sure if it embeds so you may want to add it using the info in the screenshot for adding the background image. RH Icon in Sketcher/Tools tab. These are V14 files.
Check out using the new drag command in sketcher to edit splines. Hover until you highlight a point then drag it.(Thanks Mike & Bob)
In 3D, if the filter is set to Curve, RMB will bring up Modify. Otherwise use the wireframe curve Modify command.
I think this is the least number of elements for a decent result. Haven't bothered to make the assymetrical other half.
IMO VX does a neat job with minimal complexity and next to no tweaking. One could add a great deal more control and complexity.
Have fun...<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> mudcrab2010-04-19 18:55:33http://www.zwsoft.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=865&pid=4715
Hi Dave,
I'm a rookie at this so I'd be keen to see if some one else has any ideas. If I am satisfied it is a good solution I will post it.
I have watched a few videos on 'advanced surfacing'. Huh..... Not much advanced stuff really.
One thing you see is smart looking tools and modeling methods that are just different to the VX solution. I usually discover that the VX method is required to be different and often a more powerful = controlable solution. For instance, the close loft as done by Matt looks OK in the 'who cares' example but is a real nightmare if you have some serious shape controls needed.
The VX model I did is just the bits required exactly as desired. You could add more control, but I was after shortest history.
Feature trees aint apples and apples either. Used sketches for instance VX greys out, SWx sucks them in.
All kinda fun when you know how, kinda frustrating when you don't!
Cheers mudcrab2010-04-14 23:32:25http://www.zwsoft.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=865&pid=4714
Are you going to post it at Matts sight?
cutter2010-04-14 22:09:08http://www.zwsoft.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=865&pid=4710
Gotta agree with you Chris.
By top down, don't your mean foot down? Does that make it bottom up - oops!
OK, forget the foot. Here is a pic of where I got to. It is all surface, then thickened for real world.
I will try a few other ideas to get a simpler construction.
One thing that I find frustrating is NOT being able to change the spline Fairing selection after is is drawn. Or am I missing something. Sometime I modify the splien and get 'lumps' which dont seem easily removed. A re fairing is required but I don't know how to do this. Any clues?<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif" border="0"> mudcrab2010-04-14 16:19:35http://www.zwsoft.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=865&pid=4697
Not a single real-world effort there - it should be a top-down assembly. ChrisW2010-04-14 06:07:44http://www.zwsoft.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=865&pid=4696
oops, that should be SHOE Design Challenge!<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif" border="0"> <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0"> mudcrab2010-04-13 23:35:26